AIDS Secretariat launches Valentine’s

The National AIDS Secretariat has launched a series of educational and awareness sessions in schools throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The sessions form part of the Secretariat’s annual education and awareness initiatives, which aim to encourage persons to think carefully about their actions and decisions relative to Valentine’s celebrations.{{more}}

Valentine’s Day is an occasion that seems to attract and encourage risky behaviour, not only among youths, but the populace in general. The occasion is usually associated with love, and people automatically associate it with sex, a phenomenon that can result in unwanted pregnancies and an increase in sexually transmitted diseases.

The National AIDS Secretariat has identified Valentine’s Day as it has Carnival, as one of the events that merits special attention and intervention to deal with these issues. The current initiative will focus on empowering the target groups to make sensible decisions and choices, relative to their sexual and reproductive health.

The campaign is primarily targeting young people in fourth and fifth forms and above. Recent data indicate that not only is the age group 15 -35 the most affected by HIV, but there is also evidence which indicates that teenage and unwanted pregnancies are once again on the increase.

The sessions officially kick off at the West St. George Secondary, Kingstown Multi Purpose and Petit Bordel Secondary Schools on Wednesday, February 13th. Secondary schools in Bequia have already participated in the session.

The sessions will continue on Thursday, February 14th-Valentine’s Day, and continue over the next two weeks in schools in and around St. Vincent and the Grenadines.